The Awkward Couple
by Phoenix-Flower92
Summary: We can't even hug properly. Loliver!
1. The Halloween Hugging Incident

_A/N: Ah…for some reason, I can't stop writing Loliver! Lately I've been craving to write stories for so many different televisions shows, but yet I keep returning to Hannah Montana. I just love Loliver ___

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We can't even hug properly. I know it sounds stupid, or like I'm joking…but it's true.

I'm not saying that we'd never hugged back when we were simply friends, but now it's different. Now it's awkward. Now it's like every time we go to do something, both of us are so afraid we'll do it wrong that it _does_ go wrong. Or maybe we're the ones wrong?

I don't know. I could be overanalyzing the situation, which is possible after all…but still. I can't help but recall all the times that we've hugged and it's just been…well…_pathetic._

Like last year, for example. It was Halloween, and I'd bought his favorite candy for him. Don't ask what possessed me to do so. But it was the moment that would begin the chain of events that would lead to our current relationship. Sixth period had ended, and quickly I darted out of my Science class to catch up with him.

"Oliver, wait!" I shouted down the hallway, which gained me several stares from several annoying people.

Oliver paused from the other end of the hallway and curiously turned as I strode over to him. I still remember the first word from my mouth.

"Candy!" I blurted out.

The look on his face, with hindsight, was priceless. He lifted an eyebrow and his chocolate brown eyes narrowed in confusion as I struggled to remain in the mindset that he was just my friend; it was appropriate to give my best friend candy without feeling weird about it. Wasn't it?

"Pardon me?" Oliver finally managed to question, and I must've looked about to faint because he reached out and grabbed my shoulders, steering me out of the center of the hallway and over to stand against the wall. "Are you okay?"

"Uh…yeah…why wouldn't I be?" I stuttered, still in shock about it myself.

"Candy?" he inquired.

"Candy? Oh yeah, candy…" As quickly as I could, I snapped out of it and reached into my backpack, pulling out a Halloween-decorated bag. I'd filled it with many, many packets of milk-chocolate M&M's.

Holding out the bag for him, he grinned, "Thank you! Oh, Lilly!" His voice was not normal; it was softer, kinder, more vulnerable.

"Look inside," I encouraged, and my own voice was not the same. I realized, too, that my cheeks were warm. I was blushing. Oh, God, I was blushing! Why was I blushing?!

He did as I asked, peering inside, and his smile grew, "Yes!" he shrieked.

I was smiling now as well, and we both stood there silently across from each other, against the wall, smiling ridiculously, with people constantly passing us on their way out of the building. But we were in no great hurry now.

"Lilly," Oliver finally breathed, "I feel so bad, I don't have anything for you."

"It's okay," I replied, because of course that's what was supposed to be said. And in all reality, his smile had been enough reward.

He held his arms open, and I leaned forward to hug him. But we bumped heads. We just had to bump heads, and Oliver's head? Yeah, it's like rock-solid. The whole right side of my skull still aches to think about it.

"Ouch!" I quietly yelped, taking several steps backwards from him and rubbing my head.

"Yeah, sorry," he winced. "Wow, my head is actually throbbing." He flashed me an apologetic smile, one that was absolutely adorable yet completely frustrating at the same time.

I didn't want to be mad at him. Somehow, just knowing that I did not want to be triggered my emotions. I didn't want to be mad at him, so I decided _to_ be mad at him. If that makes any sense. Anyway, that's why I didn't return the smile this time. Instead, I rolled my eyes. My normal self, the part of me that wasn't attracted to this boy, was seeping back into my body.

"Bye, Oliver." The soft tone of my voice was gone.

"Where are you going?"

"It's the end of the day, where do you think I'm going, you donut? Certainly not Chemistry."

I stomped off, in search of Miley so that I could tell her that Oliver had rudely hit me. We walked to her house that day, going on and on and on about all the things about Oliver that annoyed us. I was trying so very hard, struggling, fighting, in order to not like him. Perhaps trying as hard as I did was _precisely_ what did me in?


	2. The Christmas Incident

_A/N: This chapter is dedicated to all my Loliver readers!!!!  I love all of you so much! You guys are what keep me writing so many Lolivers. This one is especially dedicated to IheartORANGE._

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You would think that things would have become unbearably awkward between us following the Halloween Hugging Incident.

They didn't. Thank God.

Don't get me wrong, however; our interactions with each other were not the same. No longer were we simply best friends. There was something more. We were not dating, but we were definitely not _just _friends.

One of the major changes that occurred instantly was that Oliver began to wait by the door my sixth period classroom at the end of the day, as soon as the last school bell rang, while I slowly gathered together all of my belongings, just so that we could walk out to the buses together. I hated to admit it at first, but it made me happy inside. All bubbly and warm. Sixth period was suddenly exciting because I knew that afterwards, I would see him. I would talk to him. I would smile at him. And he would smile back.

It was so insane! I couldn't understand my newfound feelings; I didn't know where they were coming from. Years ago, Oliver was the hugest dork to me. If you'd told me that eventually I would develop real feelings for him, I would have laughed until I'd cried. I would have snorted. I would have rolled my eyes and told you that you were an idiot because Oliver wasn't—and never _would be_—my type of guy.

Yet for some reason, Oliver slowly grew on me and crept into my thoughts and eventually, my heart. The Halloween Hugging Incident began it all, because following it was when we began to shyly flirt with each other. In the one class that we shared, he would lean over and whisper in my ear when the teacher wasn't looking; he would open doors for me and listen to me more than he ever had before; he would actually remember things that I told him instead of just letting what I said pass through one ear and out the other; he would even look me in the eyes and smile at me in ways that were profoundly meaningful.

But it wasn't until around Christmas that we both attempted another hug.

It was the last day before our two-week Holiday Break, and I can recall it vividly.

We met in first period, the only class that we actually shared. It was Spanish, and because it was the last day before a long break, we were having a fiesta. There was a whole table at the front of the class filled with dishes of food that students had brought in, and so of course, immediately after the start of class, Oliver rushed to make himself a plate.

We sat side-by-side, and he had a plate of plain potato chips that I helped him eat. We talked about Christmas plans; he was going to Nevada to visit his grandparents on his father's side. He didn't say anything about a gift, which made me nervous. I had bought him something…but what if he hadn't bought me anything?!

The sole hour that we had together passed all too fast. The bell rang, and the class filed out, but Oliver made no move to get up. Instead, he reached into his backpack and came back up with a huge grin and a gift.

"You didn't think I'd be so terrible of a person as to not buy you something for Christmas, did you?" he laughed.

"Oh! Yay!" I giggled, "I have something for you, too." I reached into my backpack as well to retrieve my own gift, wrapped and all.

"Ladies first," Oliver said, and I couldn't argue with that.

I carefully tore the paper off the small gift, to reveal a pink box with a white bow. I lifted the lid, and it was a necklace. A beautiful, silver flower necklace.

"Do you like it?" Immediately he asked, "It's a Lilly, because of your name, you know."

"My God, Oliver…I love it!" I was smiling so big, and I couldn't wait to show off the necklace to everyone I knew. "Thank you!"

"Good…I'm glad you like it." He was so absorbed in the moment I had to remind him that it was his turn to open what I had bought him.

"Oh…right," he smiled, opening up the enormous Hershey's Chocolate Kiss I had bought for him along with a Surfboard ornament.

"I normally wouldn't have thought to buy you an ornament, but when I saw that, I had to get it for you," I said as he looked at the surfboard which could have been a miniature replica of his favorite surfboard.

"Thank you, Lilly, I love it,"

He gave me a half-hug, since we were running short on time. I was a bit disappointed, but it was okay. I'd see him again before school was over, and we'd try it again.

All day long, I gloated about the necklace, and all day long, people asked if we were "together".

"No…not yet," I'd say, and think to myself, _but we will be…we will be! _

It was still a strange feeling, to like Oliver Oken, but it was a good strange feeling. He was just so sweet! I couldn't believe it had taken me so long to see it…to see _him_.

Oliver, of course, came to pick me up at the end of the day, and we walked outside together. Once outside, he paused.

"So…we're not going to see each other for a while, and since we didn't get a good hug earlier…" He voiced my opinions, my thoughts, for me.

I smiled, and he stepped forward to hug me. But of course, even this time, something just had to go wrong. He accidentally stomped on my foot! It didn't hurt like the head-bump had, but still! It made me mad! You know it's bad when _you can't even_ _hug properly_!!!! Ugh!

This time, though, we were able to sort of laugh it off, and we tried a third hug, which was okay. Oliver began heading to his bus after that, and he turned back to smile at me, and wave, and I couldn't help but adore him. I was really, really starting to develop deep feelings for him. And, for better or worse, they would only grow deeper.


	3. The Birthday Incident

**A/N: For the sake of this story, Lilly's birthday is in January. I hope that's okay?**

**Also, this chapter is dedicated to: believeinlove08**

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It was my birthday; it was my sixteenth birthday and it was the first year in all the years that I knew him that Oliver Oscar Oken would give me a present. And of course, because Oliver was an important part of that day, I remember it just like yesterday.

I awoke to a text from Miley, congratulating me on my special day and inviting me over before school. (I would have stopped by her house invite or no invite.) I searched through my closet for the cutest outfit I could possibly find and raced over to my best friend's house.

Miley greeted me at the door, "Lilly, why don't you sit down for some breakfast?" she laughed, "since apparently I never ask you to on any other day?"

Robby Ray had prepared an amazing breakfast for me—pancakes with a hint of cinnamon, buttered toast, scrambled eggs, and lots of bacon.

"So…" I questioned as I readily grabbed my plate of hot food and took a sip of pineapple orange juice.

Miley huffed a large sigh; she'd known this would be coming. "Yes, Lilly, I talked to him, and I promise he did not forget your birthday and in fact you will love what he bought you. It's very thoughtful and sweet."

I squealed in response and my thoughts raced. What would Oliver buy me?! Would I like it? Of course I would like it right, just because it came from him?

"I don't understand what you see in that boy," Miley continued, "Did you know he has the filthiest mouth? He only controls it around you for, well, your sake."

This only caused my grin to spread, "Aww…he watches what he says for me?"

At this, a small smile crept onto Miley's face, "You two are good together," she admitted, "it's just…weird. I'd rather make fun of him like we used to."

"We'll still make fun of him," I reassured her, "Just…in a different way?"

"Yeah," Miley laughed, finishing up her piece of bacon and grabbing her backpack.

I followed her example and together we boarded the bus for school.

I rushed to first period that morning to meet Oliver, and I don't regret it. He'd saved a spot for me, right next to him, like he always did. He told me happy birthday with the brightest smile, and commented on my outfit even. And then he reached into his backpack to pull out a gift, wrapped in pink paper with a purple bow.

I tore the paper to reveal a small jewelry box, which contained another necklace. This one was silver, and in the shape of a heart, and there was a white pearl in the middle of that heart.

"Do you like it?" Straight away, anxiously, he asked.

I nodded. How could he go wrong with jewlry? "It's so pretty!" I gloated, and then, "Thank you!"

"Good," he replied, placing a hand on my shoulder.

My mistake was waiting until the end of class to hug him. I waited until the bell rang, until he'd already slipped the straps of his backpack over his shoulders and until we would be in a rush to get to our second period classes. If only we'd just hugged while sitting down, in our seats…

"Thank you, again," I smiled. We stood across from each other, in front of the doorway; everyone else had already filed out of the classroom and no one else would be expected to enter for several more minutes.

"You're welcome," He nodded, "And it's your birthday, so you get a hug,"

I leaned forward as he opened his arms to hug him. And it seemed like a very good hug at first...until I tried to pull away from him and couldn't. My arm was caught between his backpack strap and his side!

"Ow!" I cried. "My arm! It's...caught...in your stupid backpack!"

I'm sure we looked like complete idiots as we stood there, with me tugging to get my arm free and with him trying to assist me. When I finally_ did_ manage to get my arm untangled from his backpack, all Oliver could do was smile at me and laugh it off.

Seeing him smile was all I needed. Seeing him smile...oddly, it was beginning to become one of those little things that made my day. It was enough, in this particular situation, to realize how quite humorous our most recent attempt at hugging was.

I think, too, that at this point, we were both noticing the patterns of our hugging. That was to say, every time we hugged, something, somehow, went absolutely, painfully, and somewhat (only afterwards) entertainingly wrong.


End file.
